The creation and negotiation of services, such as data services, requires the extensive processing of user and/or service information along with network information. Service creation generally refers to the processing performed when the user requests a new service. Service negotiation generally refers to the processing performed when the user modifies a currently subscribed to service. Service creation and negotiation both involve an analysis of user information to determine if a particular user can be provided with the requested service, an analysis of service information to determine if the requested service can be provided to the particular user, and an analysis of network information, such as network resources, to determine if the network is able to support the providing of the requested service to the particular user. An exemplary conventional system and method of service creation and negotiation will be explained hereinafter.
FIG. 1 depicts an example of a conventional wireless network 1. A mobile station (MS) 2 is in communication with at least one base station (BS) 5. A base station 5 has multiple transceivers controlled by a base station controller (BSC) 10. The BSC 10 manages the radio channels and underlying hardware resources of all the base stations 5 under its control. The BSC 10 is in communication with an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network 20 having a selection distribution unit (SDU) 22 therein. Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a network technology based on transferring data in packets of a fixed size. The packet size in an ATM network is smaller than those of older network technologies, allowing the transmittal of video, audio and other data over the same network while no single data type dominates a network communication line. The BSC 10 handles additional traffic channel assignment functionality and coordinates the activities of the selection distribution unit (SDU) 22 and the base stations 5 during setup, release, and handoff of radio channels for different service configurations.
Each base station 5 is also in communication with a mobile station controller (MSC) 40 via the ATM network 20 to establish and maintain communications between the mobile station 2 and the wireless network 1. The MSC 40 is operatively connected with the ATM network 20; the MSC 40 being responsible for, among other things, call and/or connection control and mobility management. In particular, the MSC 40 is responsible for, among other things, establishing and maintaining calls between the mobile stations 2, and calls between a mobile station 2 and a wireline station 50. A wireline station 50 is operatively connected to the MSC 40 via a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 45, so that communication between mobile stations 2, wireline stations 50 and the wireless network 1 can be established.
An Internet/Packet Data Network 30 is connected with the ATM network 20 via a data content analysis/interworking function (DA/IWF) module 25. The DA/IWF module 25 is an intermediary between the ATM network 20 and the Internet/Packet Data Network 30, providing users with, for example, packet data services. The data content analysis (DA) determines the data characteristics and its content such as the byte size of images, and how an image is quantized in the pixel or frequency domain. The data content analysis (DA) may consist of a number of possible transformations, decoding techniques or protocol conforming techniques to determine the type and possible content of the data.
A Web server 32, and other Web based interfaces, such as a computer workstation 34, are operatively connected with the Internet/Packet Data Network 30 to allow communication therebetween.
A home location register (HLR) 70 for supporting applications and services is connected with a Web server 66 for communicating Web-based data therebetween. The HLR 70 provides per-subscriber provisioning and profile transfer of various features. Thus, the HLR 70 is used to support the MSC 40, and assists in providing mobility management and enhanced service features by storing user information in, for example, a user profile which may list the services subscribed to by the user. Typically, the MSC 40 is connected to several databases, including the HLR 70. For each of the mobile units, the HLR 70 typically stores a mobile identification number (MIN) or International Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (IMSI), the mobile directory or phone number (MDN), and/or an electronic serial number (ESN).
In general, HLR mobility management functionality supports a wireless network's ability to deliver calls, enhanced services, information, and messages to customers no matter where they roam. This is achieved by maintaining a customer's service profile in the HLR 70 (or in other portions of the network) and using that profile to provide call processing instructions to the MASC's 40. The service profile may contain permanent information such as credit status, authorization period, and enhanced features the customer has subscribed to. The service profile also contains temporary information, such as the customer's current location. With these types of information, a HLR 70 can respond to call processing requests from any MSC 40, located anywhere.
The HLR 70 is accessed each time a subscriber places or received a call and is used to determine how to handle the call. When a subscriber roams to a different MSC 40 and registers for service, the serving MSC must build a visitor location register (VLR) for the subscriber if one does not already exist. In doing so, the servicing MSC 40 will request HLR information from the subscriber's home MSC 40 and use it to build the VLR.
Typically, the HLR 70 can use open standard interfaces to communicate with MSC's and other network elements, such as Short Message Service Centers (SMSC's).
The HLR 70 is also connected with the DA/IWF module 25 to allow communication of user information therebetween. Also, the HLR 70 is connected with the BSC 10 to coordinate the user's request from the mobile station 2 with the user information stored in the HLR 70.
In the conventional art, certain portions of the network contain user information, some other network elements contain service information, and different portions of the network contain the network's information and capabilities.
User information generally refers to specific aspects pertaining to a particular user, including information for billing the user. Examples of user information include, user profiles (e.g., user name, billing address, location, services currently subscribed to, etc.), user preferences based on how services should be provided (e.g., time of day when certain services should be received, receiving certain services only when in a particular geographical location, etc.), etc. In general, user information are stored in the HLR 70.
Service information generally refers to information for providing services and specific information about the services, including information for billing the user, based on the capabilities (such as bandwidth) required by each service to function properly. Examples of service information include, available services (e.g., voice transmissions, data transmissions such as information services, messaging, scheduling, etc.), available service options such as selectable levels of service quality (e.g., service quality based on signal-to-noise ratios, bit-error rates, etc.), etc. Service information is stored in several locations, such as in the HLR 70, the MSC 40, the BSC 10, etc. For example, the available service information may reside in the HLR 70, while the service capabilities and options may reside in the MSC 40 and the BSC 10.
Network information generally refers to information for network processing, including information for billing the user. Network information can be user-based or cell-based. User-based network information includes, e.g., network capacity based on the total number of current users, etc. Cell-based network information includes, e.g., network signal interference based on available bandwidth, available network resources required for services, available network resources for a particular cell, etc. Network information are stored in and accessed from different portions of the network, such as, the ATM network 20, the DA/IWF module 25, the BSC 10, etc. In the conventional art, the HLR 70 contains no network information.
In creating and negotiating services, user information, service information, and network information all need to be accessed and processed so that various users are provided with the services that are created and/or negotiated. The users also need to be properly billed for service creation and/or negotiation.
An exemplary conventional method of service creation and negotiation may begin with the user deciding to newly receive a certain type of data service, such as getting stock quotes. For example, say a user who travels extensively in New York and Boston wishes to always receive stock quotes at 12 noon each day while being in either city. The user would place his request to receive stock quotes in the above manner using his mobile station 2. The mobile station 2 communicates with the base station 5, and the BSC 10 receives the request from the base station 5. The BSC 10 then communicates with the HLR 70 to store the user request and obtain previously stored user information (user profile, user preferences, etc.) therein.
The ATM network 20 accesses via for example, the BSC 10, user information stored in the HLR 70 and notes that the user wants stock quotes every day at 12 noon in New York or Boston. The ATM network 20 communicates with the DA/IWF module 25, the MSC 40, the BSC 10 etc., in order to access various service information (service bandwidth requirements, service options, etc.). For example, the service bandwidth requirements for providing stock. quotes to the user at 12 noon each day in New York and Boston is verified. It may be found that if the user requests his stock quotes when in New York, the service needs to be provided at a particular service bandwidth, while the service requires a different service bandwidth when the user is in Boston.
The ATM network 20 further communicates with the DA/IWF module 25, the MSC 40, the BSC 10 etc., to access network information (available network resources, network support capabilities such as network traffic, signal interference caused in certain wireless network cells due to a large number of existing users accessing the network, etc.) for providing the user with stock quotes at 12 noon in New York and Boston. For example, the network information may indicate that the anticipated network traffic at the user requested 12 noon time period in New York will be extremely heavy, while the anticipated network traffic at 12 noon in Boston will be light.
In this manner, user information and/or service information (accessed and obtained from various network elements) are compared with network information (accessed and obtained from various network elements) to see if the newly requested service can be performed so that the service can be supported, provided, and billed to the user. For each user and for each service request, the ATM network 20, the DA/IWF module 25, the BSC 10, etc. cooperate to determine whether the network capabilities can allow the user to receive and be billed for the requested service. For example, if there are currently too many users on the network who have requested stock quotes or if there is a limit on the number of permitted users to receive stock quotes, the user will be informed that the network is at full capacity and asks the user to attempt access at another time.
If the user and service information and the network capabilities are such that the requested stock quote information can be provided and billed to the user, the network processing proceeds to access stock quote data. If, for example, the stock quotes are to be provided by a financial news organization having a Web server 32, the DA/IWF module 25 further communicates with the Internet/Packet Data Network 30 to receive stock quote data from the Web server 32 so that the user is provided and billed for the created service.
Like service creation, the user's request to modify (i.e., negotiate) a currently subscribed service is performed in a similar manner. For example, say the user currently subscribing to the previously established service of receiving stock quotes every day at 12 noon in New York or Boston wishes to modify this service so that he gets his stock quotes at 1 pm instead.
Service negotiation will begin upon the user placing a request via, for example, his mobile station 2. As with the process for service creation, the mobile station 2 communicates with the base station 5, and the BSC 10 receives the request from the base station 5. The BSC 10 then communicates with the HLR 70 to store the user request and obtain previously stored user information. The ATM network 20 accesses user information stored in the HLR 70 and notes that the user wants stock quotes every day at 1 pm in New York or Boston. The ATM network 20 communicates with the DA/IWF module 25, the MSC 40, the BSC 10 etc., in order to access various service information (such as service bandwidth requirements) for providing stock quotes at 1 pm in New York or Boston. The ATM network 20 further communicates with the DA/IWF module 25, the MSC 40, the BSC 10 etc., to access network information for providing stock quotes at 1 pm in New York or Boston. The various elements of the communications network, such as the base station 5, the BSC 10, the ATM network 20, the HLR 70, the DA/IWF module 25 and the MSC 40 all cooperate with one another to obtain the necessary user and/or service information and network information to determine whether the user can negotiate (modify) and be billed for his current stock quote service to be received at 1 pm instead of 12 noon.
As can be understood by those skilled in the art, receiving stock quotes is only one type of service that the user may request or negotiate through the wireless network. A multitude of other services can be provided as well. For each service creation or negotiation request, the conventional network processing of verifying the user and service information with the network capabilities needs to be performed differently, as different information are stored in different portions of the network. For example, the network processing for negotiating sports scores need not go through the Internet/Packet Data Network 30 if the sports scores are provided through non-Web-based methods, such as Over the Air Activation Service Provisioning (OTASP). This differs from the network processing and network elements used in, for example, getting stock quotes provided from a Web server, which requires Web-based network processing via the Internet/Packet Data Network 30.
Thus, network information, in addition to user and/or service information, are required to determine whether the user's desired modifications to his stock quote service can be negotiated between the user and the network. In this manner, services created or negotiated requires the separate accessing and separate processing of user and/or service information and network information, (as well as their corresponding billing information), stored in various locations of the network on a per user basis or per call basis. Additionally, the users may need to be billed separately for the various services created and/or negotiated on for example, a per user basis or per call basis.